a) Field of the Invention
This patent application generally relates to devices for child care, and more particularly, to such devices that help protect a child from the elements during transportation.
b) Description of the Prior Art
It is common for child strollers, infant carriers, and car-seats (hereinafter “car-seats”) to include various components to help protect a seated infant or child (hereinafter “child”) from local environmental factors, such as sunlight, wind and even rain, which, if left unabated can easily injure the seated child, or at least likely cause discomfort.
Most of today's commercially available devices used to transport a child, including car-seats and strollers, include a selectively deployable visor, hood, or sunshade (hereinafter “sunshade”), which is usually made up of a hood-shaped section of weather-proof fabric or plastic which is secured and supported by a series of curved semi-rigid members which mechanically interact with each other at common pivot points and collectively allow the secured hood to be deployed so that the head portion of the child can be covered.
An obvious limitation of this type of protective device is that only a small portion of the child is protected and even that protection has limited effectiveness because the sunshade can only be deployed along a single line of movement.
It is common for parents to drape a towel or blanket over the deployed sunshade of the car-seat or stroller to help block sunlight and wind from breaching the semi-rigid hood structure and reaching the seated child. Although the intentions are honorable, this method of shanty-protection is fraught with problems and can even be dangerous to the child. The towel or blanket rarely stays where it should, often shifting in the wind, and can easily fall into the child compartment, possibly covering the child's face and causing inadvertent injury to the child.
Thus, there is a need for a cover, beyond existing sunshades, which will shield an infant from the glare of the sun and other environmental factors while traveling in a car, or traveling while strolling.
Yet another problem common when parents travel with a child, either in a stroller in an automobile with a car-seat, is the existence of flies and other insects which may disturb the child, either by entering the stroller area where the child is seated or by entering the automobile if a window is left open. Flies or other insects can often carry diseases which can harm the child. Most sunshades which are commonly available on the market, however, provide no protection to the child from such insects. Additionally, other insects such as wasps and bees may sting the child and may cause serious health problems if the child is allergic to bee stings or wasp stings.
Still another concern with child car-seats is that the child is not protected from the wind or precipitation during the process of removing the child, in the car-seat, from the car. While within a car, a child will generally not be tightly bundled in a blanket or have a coat on due to the concerns of the child overheating. However, as soon as the vehicle stops and the door is open, the child is subject to cold weather, rain, snow, etc. Thus, it is desirable to have a cover for an infant carrier which will protect the child from the elements without the need for dressing and undressing the child every time the child is moved into and out of the vehicle.
Still another concern for parents of young children is unwanted touching. Often strangers or friends will approach a child and play with the child's hands or face. While the strangers, etc., are generally well meaning, any germs on their hands will be communicated to the child. When the child places his hands in his mouth, the germs will be ingested. A well meaning stranger or friend can readily communicate a cold, the flu, or other infections to the child. Thus, it is desirable to provide a cover which inhibits the ability of others to touch the child without the express consent of the parent.
Still yet another concern which is common for parents of a child while riding in a car seat is that the child may easily become bored and begin to cry. Numerous accidents have been caused by a driver attempting to look at or touch a child to calm them when agitated. While a child can often be entertained with various toys, an uncovered child car-seat allows the toy to fall or be thrown from the carrier. To return the toy to the car-seat, the driver must usually take his or her eyes off the road, thereby increasing the likelihood of an accident.
Numerous attempts have been made to protect a child from the sun and to otherwise provide entertainment to the child. One common device for shielding children from sun is a small round sun screen which sticks to a window. However, each screen only blocks the sun from one direction. When the vehicle changes direction, the sun's direct rays come through the window from a different location or from a different window altogether. Not only does the sun screen not work at keeping the sun out of the child's eyes, it obstructs the driver's view somewhat and has to be removed altogether at night.
One such prior art invention exists is U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,490 of Mortenson. This patent discloses a device that claims to protect an infant from weather and insects while the infant is seated in any type of infant carrier. Unfortunately, this device requires the use of handle of the infant carrier to support the carrier cover and form a tent over the carrier. One main disadvantage to this type of cover is that it cannot be used in a moving vehicle as the manufacturers of infant carriers suggest the handle be locked in place in the horizontal position behind the carrier. Therefore, it provides limited protection from the sun or insects while in a moving vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,639 of Jaime incorporates the use of dual sun shade devices which attach to the U-shaped handle. This device also requires the use of the U-shaped handle for attachment of the sun visor and only covers half of the carrier allowing incomplete sun protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,674 of Franc does not require the use of the U-shaped carrier handle and could thus be used in a moving vehicle. However, its use appears to be dependent upon fasteners which must be attached to the carrier cover by the consumer. It is also a single function device. It does not protect against precipitation, wind or insects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,999 of Thompson et al. discloses a sun shade for use with a baby car-seat. However, the Thompson et al. device is impractical because it consists of a complex support structure which is positioned between the sun and the baby. In a moving vehicle, the Thompson et al. device would require continuous adjustment to keep the sun shade properly positioned as the car changes direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,231 of Smith discloses a sunshade apparatus that may require a seat equipped with a U-shaped handle. However, the Smith patent appears to only address sun protection, and when installed on the seat, the sunshade partially blocks the grip area of the handle. Partial blocking of the handle does not appear to allow for the sunshade's use on several type handle equipped automatic swing and glider seats. Several manufacturers' seat and carrier designs allow the handle to be folded below the seat to vary the seat's angle relative to a supporting surface. When a handle is used below the seat, a handle attachment of a sunshade or cover is not convenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,883 of Mayo discloses a sunshade apparatus that addresses protection against sun for a seated baby by providing a wrap around channel of photochromic material mounted between the baby and the sun. The Mayo apparatus appears complex, bulky, and seems to address only sun protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,339,527 of Sperlling et al. shows a collapsible screen for baby carriages which has sideflaps and is rollably stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,412,935 of Greenebaum shows a baby carriage screen as foot and head portions which are attached to the handle in the middle of the carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,915 of Anderson et al. describes a sun shield assembly for detachable attachment to an infant's seat, comprising a pair of mounting brackets and a hood, which is mountable in the brackets, having a top wall and opposed side walls. The hood is made of a resilient material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,385 of Koenig relates to an inflatable cushioning device having a first end adapted for attachment to the infant car seat behind the infant's head and to a seat in front of the infant, including sideflaps extending sufficiently downward from the portion just above the infant's head to protect the infant from strong sunlight and excessive heat. The cushioning device is preferably formed of a flexible plastic material of a color sufficiently dark to absorb an appreciable portion of sunlight incident thereon, thereby protecting the child from exposure to sunlight and resultant discomfort from excessive heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,779 of Myers shows a sun shade and protective cushion device for use with a conventional automobile child seat. The sun shade comprises a flexible sheet-like canopy which is generally horizontal in use and has a pocket formed at a first end for fitting over the top of the back of the infant's car seat and a means at a second end, opposite to the first end, for stretchably anchoring the canopy to a part of the car's interior that is spaced apart from the infant's car seat. A pair of side flaps also may extend along opposite sides of the canopy and be either in a raised position, flat atop the canopy, or in a generally downwardly lowered position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,030 of Lewis describes a shade for use with infants and children car seats and the like having a seat and back member that fits into the seat and accommodates strap restraints and a hood that attaches to the seat and back member to project as a canopy from a back portion of the seat and back member. The device has a two-part construction including a flexible seat and back with connection means for the hood and pass-through openings for seat restraints.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,770 of Hassel, Jr. discloses a sun shield for a child's car seat which “consists of a single flat piece of pre-cut firm bendable material having a roof segment, a pair of side visor segments, a pair of support flap segments and a back segment, with a cut out gap area between each support flap segment and the back segment.” The bendable material is standard gauge corrugated cardboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,945 of Auperlee et al. describes a removable cover for a car-seat to help protect the seat from sun exposure, but only when the seat is empty, such as when the car sits in a parking lot. The cover can be stowed in a pocket that is attached to the head-rest portion of the seat.
Although these prior art baby carriers provide several helpful features, there are additional problems that remain unsolved. Parents everywhere would benefit by a protective covering that, when deployed, protects an infant or child from inclement weather and sunlight and debris and wind, yet allows a parent to easily monitor the infant through the covering. The protective cover should be rapidly deployable and be easily fastened, and further should be easily and quickly stowable in such a manner that maintains the aesthetic qualities of the overall car-seat (or infant carrier) whenever the protective cover is not being used. The protective cover should also not interfere with any of the operational components of the infant carrier (or car-seat), in particular, the handles.
In short, there is a need for a car-seat cover which protects a seated infant from sun, wind, inclement weather and insects both inside and out of a moving vehicle that is easy to manufacture and use.